Advice for my 1970 Maverick resto/maybe mod…

I recently got a 1970 Maverick with a 200 engine and manual transmission. I am considering upgrading the brakes, engine, steering and absolutely a automatic transmission. Any advice would be helpful.

 

Welcome to the forum, from northeast Illinois.
Best upgrade IMO, Disk front brake conversion! Steering and suspension next! Nothing else matters if you can't stop!

 

70' Maverick 200 3OTT is a nice simple car. You can keep the 200 and swap to automatic and make your Maverick good for your driving needs OR you can GO BIG and make your simple Maverick into anything your resources can handle. Brakes and steering is a good start ...

Pics?

have fun

 

If you swap to an auto you will easily be able to sell the manual pedals for a good price. They are in short supply with a fairly high demand.

 

...
what is the overall condition of the car? mainly the cowl and floor pan areas.

 

The car set for the last 18 years in a dryer portion of Oregon. It is mostly in good condition but the floor pans are rusted through. I have some Mustang pans on the way to me. I will MIG weld them in a couple of weeks. I pulled the front body parts off along with the interior and pulled the motor and transmission this last weekend. It is hard to find a C4 in the rural part of Oregon. Still searching for one. Not sure if I need to go to 5 lugs or if 4 is adequate. It will be a run around town car, not going to try to make it a souped up race car. Do you think I should just rebuild the 200, I have a warm place in my heart for a 302, had several Mustangs in years gone by.

 

with that much floorpan rust, how does the frame look?

 

Chances are that 200 is still serviceable., you could take off the head to evaluate. The Ford small block six 170/200 also has a specific bellhouse for the C4 using the original small- bolt pattern (2.77 3 spd/C2) not 'Toploader' like the 3.03 3 spd.

1976 Maverick 200 with C4

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I would : ... ( get MIG'n !) for now keep the 200, even if you prep a 302 and finish making car driveable. Convert to an OVERDRIVE tranny like T5 and the 200 will easily run interstate speeds and have the enough gears for any enthusiastic driving. The early Maverick six car is actually quite rare in rustbelt USA - ( " if you had one , you know why ! ..." )

4 Lug to 5 Lug conversion usually adds later disc front spindles and a complete 5 lug rear axle swap if gearing is changed for tranny swap

have fun

4 Lug Small Block Six ;
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The frame rails are actually in good shape. I was concerned at first when I exposed the floor pans. They don’t salt the roads in winter here, like they did in Indiana where I grew up. I had to replace frame rails and pans in a 64 1/2 Mustang 25 years ago. The climate is really nice here. The older cars have minimal rust around here.
How difficult is a T5 swap out, bell housing still an issue with that change? I would have more money for different things on the car if I stick with the 200. Putting the automatic transmission in is a priority due to my honey, knows how to burn clutches up even with continuous education.

 

Nice you have plenty of options, the OD T5 can use the same bellhouse as your 3 spd with an inexpensive adapter plate. Not quite a bolt-in, some light fab may be required.

C4 does have bolt-on 200 parts but no OD automatic will simply bolt--on to a small block 170/200 six. C4 will still require kick-down setup from carb linkage.



have fun

"older cars have minimal rust around here."

... we have minimal old cars around here...

 

C-4 W/ Gearvendor ...

 

So let’s say I keep my 200 swap the manual for a C4 and keep my 4 lug wheels, is there a drum to disc conversion that can be purchased? Or do I need to go to 5 lug and from what I read change the spindle.

 

There is a simple disc conversion for the 4 Lug Ford cars. The conversion uses available parts with an inexpensive caliper bracket plate.

https://www.scarebird.com/

I used 1971 Maverick 4 LUG - Drum brake - Spindles on '61 Comet with "Scarebird" conversion hardware:

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note 'proportioning valve' for Frt/Rr pressure bias.

have fun

 

A 302 install will require a full drivetrain swap, the spindly 6 7/8 rear will shuck ring gear teeth on first good romp.

Not that they are still on every corner, a Granada makes good swap parts. While some had 302, most used the 250 6cyl with C4, that'd make a peppy combo. When the 250 was introduced in '69, Ford claimed to 50 mph, it would accelerate evenly with 302.

If you'd like to stay all Ford, the drum spindles will work with the '66/'67 Mustang four piston disc brakes.
Have a set om my Fairlane.

 

Donor Maverick '71 / 170 had the 8" 2.79:1 typical on most six cars, interested when early 6 7/8" rear was discontinued?.







Anvil strong 250 small block has plenty of grunt - torque available for getting moving with typical high-ratio rear and 1:1 final ratio C4. 250 has different (wider) motor mounts and a few other different minor parts than 170/200.

have fun